Site certification -_2013_program_manual

South Carolina Department of Commerce

Industrial Site Certification Program

2013 MANUAL

South Carolina Department of Commerce Industrial Site Certification Program Table of Contents Section One: Program Overview & Minimum Requirements Section Two: Step 1 Requirements — Site Verification Section Three: Site Verification Questionnaire Section Four: Letter of Intent Template

SECTION ONE

Program Overview

& Minimum Requirements

Page 1 of 7

South Carolina Department of Commerce 2013 Industrial Site Certification Program Program Overview One of the fastest growing trends in the site location business is the demand for project-ready industrial sites. The reason is simple: companies continue to put pressure on the time allowed for making a location decision as well as the time required to start construction and complete the project. As such, the location decision process demands available sites, and those sites need to be ready for development. Companies looking to build new facilities want sites that are ready to go and relatively "risk free." As a result, communities who are seeking to recruit projects need to be prepared to market their sites with a wealth of site-related information and data on their community. Companies are not willing to wait for a community to find an appropriate site and determine its suitability for development. Recognizing this trend, the South Carolina Department of Commerce (SCDOC) initiated an Industrial Site Certification Program. This initiative has enhanced the level of community preparedness throughout the state. In 2010, SCDOC sought to revamp its program and retained McCallum Sweeney Consulting (MSC) to help with this endeavor. MSC has certified more than 20 industrial sites and parks under the new program. The remainder of this document describes the SCDOC Industrial Site Certification Program and process. In addition, a schedule for the program implementation is outlined.

Program Objectives The objectives of the SCDOC Industrial Site Certification Program are as follows:

Provide prospects with comprehensive site data and ensure that certain minimum information is available on a site or industrial park;

Assist the communities in determining the marketability of existing sites or industrial parks; and

Certify sites or industrial parks that are ready for industrial development.

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Certification Process The SCDOC Industrial Site Certification Program is a three-step process. Detailed instructions are provided in the documents entitled Instructions for Submission which will be provided to applicant at each step of the process. The outline below provides an overview of each of the steps in the process. All three steps must be completed in order for a site to be designated as “certified.”

Step 1: Site Verification. During this step, the applicant will indicate his/her intent to pursue certification by completing an application to have the site verified and notifying SCDOC through a Letter of Intent. If the applicant does not own the parcel being submitted for certification, then the application must also be signed by the landowner. The applicant must indicate in their Letter of Intent if they intend for the property to be certified as an industrial site or industrial park. An electronic copy of each of these documents is to be submitted to SCDOC.

Once these documents have been completed, the applicant will receive all of the necessary Step 2 documents from MSC.

Step 2: Site Evaluation. During this step, the applicant will complete a Site and

Community Questionnaire and compile the Step 2 Required Attachments. One copy of the questionnaire and the required attachments should be submitted to both MSC and SCDOC. MSC and SCDOC will review the information and conduct a site visit to the site or park. MSC scores all of the applications based on the site’s Technical and Marketing Attractiveness. In both cases, MSC uses a number of different criteria. These scores are reviewed with SCDOC and the team makes a determination regarding whether or not the site should be invited to move forward with certification.

Sites that are deemed appropriate for certification will receive an invitation to submit the site or park for certification and all of the necessary Step 3 documents. Those sites that are not asked to move forward with certification receive immediate feedback from MSC.

Step 3: Site Certification. A site must receive an invitation in order to submit a

full application for certification. During this step, Step 2 materials may require some updating as well as additional information that will be developed and submitted. One copy of the Site Certification documents should be submitted to both MSC and SCDOC.

Page 3 of 7

Industrial Sites and Industrial Parks The SCDOC Industrial Site Certification Program is designed to certify industrial sites and industrial parks. For the purposes of this program, an industrial site is defined as a site that is a minimum of 50 developable1, contiguous acres with the assets (i.e., utilities, transportation, etc.) necessary to support an industrial facility. An industrial park is defined as property that is a minimum of 100 subdividable acres with the assets necessary to support industrial facilities. Impediments to developability (such as a stream, road, utility easement) can exist in an industrial park, provided that there is a single 20-acre, contiguous, developable parcel.

Minimum Criteria for Industrial Site Certification Note that the criteria listed below are only the minimum criteria. The documentation that is required for each criteria can be found in the document entitled Items Required for Certification which is provided after MSC has received the Step 1 submission from the applicant.

1. The site must be a minimum of 50 developable, contiguous acres. The configuration of

the developable, contiguous acres must be acceptable for a single industrial user.

2. The developable acreage must be located outside of the 100-year flood zone.

3. The site must be available for sale or lease (with a documented price and terms) to prospective industrial investors. If the site is only available for lease, the lease term must be a minimum of 25 years.

4. The site must be zoned appropriately or be able to be rezoned for industrial use within 90 days (if applicable).

5. The site must be directly served or be able to be served within six months by a road that is compatible with standards for tractor-trailer access (80,000 pounds / 20,000 pounds per axle).

6. To market the site as rail-served, the site must be served or be able to be served within 12 months by rail.

7. The site must be served or be able to be served within six months by industrial quality power (a minimum of three-phase electric service).

8. The site must be served or be able to be served within six months by natural gas.

9. The site must be served or be able to be served within six months by water infrastructure and a water system with a minimum excess capacity of at least 150,000 gallons per day.

1 “Developable” acres are those that have no impediments to development, or mitigation for any known

impediments can be accomplished in less than 90 days. Environmental contamination issues must be remediated prior to certification.

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10. The site must be served or be able to be served within six months by wastewater infrastructure and a wastewater treatment plant with a minimum excess capacity of 100,000 gallons per day.2

11. The site must be served or be able to be served within six months by a minimum of DS-1 or T-1 telecommunications infrastructure.

12. The site’s developable acreage must be free of recognized environmental concerns.

13. The site’s developable acreage must be free of wetlands or be able to be mitigated within 90 days. If the schedule for mitigation is longer than 90 days, mitigation must be completed prior to certification.

14. The site’s developable acreage must be free of threatened and endangered species or be able to be mitigated within 90 days. If the schedule for mitigation is longer than 90 days, mitigation must be completed prior to certification.

15. The site’s developable acreage must be free of areas of archaeological or historical significance or be able to be mitigated within 90 days. If the schedule for mitigation is longer than 90 days, mitigation must be completed prior to certification.

16. The site’s developable acreage must have soils compatible with industrial development.

17. A Site Concept Plan must be provided that shows the total and developable acreage, potential building pad, planned ingress/egress (road and rail), location of utilities (existing and proposed), and easements. The Site Concept Plan should take into consideration and note the location of development limitations such as wetlands, floodplains, and permanent easements.

Minimum Criteria for Industrial Park Certification

Note that the criteria listed below are only the minimum criteria. The documentation that is required for each criteria can be found in the document entitled Items Required for Certification which is provided after MSC has received the Step 1 submission from the applicant. 1. The industrial park must be a minimum of 100 subdividable acres with at least one

parcel in the park being a minimum of 20 developable, contiguous acres.

2. The developable acreage must be located outside of the 100-year flood zone.

3. The industrial park must be available for sale or lease (with a documented price and terms) to prospective industrial investors. If the industrial park is only available for lease, the lease term must be a minimum of 25 years.

4. The industrial park must be zoned appropriately or be able to be rezoned for industrial use within 90 days (if applicable).

2 Septic tanks are not an acceptable wastewater treatment solution.

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5. The industrial park must be directly served or be able to be served within six months by a road that is compatible with standards for tractor-trailer access (80,000 pounds / 20,000 pounds per axle).

6. To market the industrial park as rail served, the industrial park must be served or be able to be served within 12 months by rail.

7. The industrial park must be served or be able to be served within six months by industrial quality power (a minimum of three-phase electric service).

8. The industrial park must be served or be able to be served within six months by natural gas.

9. The industrial park must be served or be able to be served within six months by water infrastructure and a water system with a minimum excess capacity of at least 300,000 gallons per day.

10. The industrial park must be served or be able to be served within six months by wastewater infrastructure and a wastewater treatment plant with a minimum excess capacity of 200,000 gallons per day.3

11. The industrial park must be served or be able to be served within six months by a minimum of DS-1 or T-1 telecommunications infrastructure.

12. The industrial park’s developable acreage must be free of recognized environmental concerns or have a plan for mitigation.

13. The industrial park’s developable acreage must be free of wetlands or have a plan for mitigation or be able to be mitigated within 90 days. If the schedule for mitigation is longer than 90 days, mitigation must be completed prior to certification.

14. The industrial park’s developable acreage must be free of threatened and endangered species or have a plan for mitigation or be able to be mitigated within 90 days. If the schedule for mitigation is longer than 90 days, mitigation must be completed prior to certification.

15. The industrial park’s developable acreage must be free of areas of archaeological or historical significance or have a plan for mitigation or be able to be mitigated within 90 days. If the schedule for mitigation is longer than 90 days, mitigation must be completed prior to certification.

16. The industrial park’s developable acreage must have soils compatible with industrial development.

17. A Master Development Plan that shows the location of park access roads, easements, utilities (existing and proposed), and proposed lot locations and sizes (total and developable acreage) must be submitted. The Master Development Plan should take into consideration and note the location of development limitations, such as wetlands, floodplains, and permanent easements.

3 Septic tanks are not an acceptable wastewater treatment solution.

Page 6 of 7

18. A set of draft protective covenants that at a minimum address the following: building type, landscaping, parking, outdoor storage, setback specifications, and sign control must be submitted.

Program Schedule The program will be implemented in two rounds for 2013. The schedule for 2013 is as follows: Round I

Step 1 submittals due to SCDOC by April 5, 2013 Step 2 documents distributed by MSC on April 8, 2013 Step 2 submittals due to MSC and SCDOC by May 10, 2013 Site Visits will occur during the weeks of June 17th and June 24th Invitations to proceed with Step 3 will be issued the week of July 22, 2013

Round II

Step 1 submittals due to SCDOC by August 2, 2013 Step 2 documents distributed by MSC on August 5, 2013 Step 2 submittals due to MSC and SCDOC by September 13, 2013 Site Visits will occur during the weeks of October 14th and October 21st Invitations to proceed with Step 3 will be issued the week of November 18, 2013

To avoid a lapse in the site’s certification status, it is recommended for sites that are approaching recertification to begin the process as soon as possible. Please note that all Step 3 submittals are due to SCDOC within 12 months of receiving an invitation to proceed with certification. If not completed in that timeframe, the applicant will need to start the process over and resubmit Step 1 in another round.

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Reverification and Recertification In order for a certified site to remain on the SCDOC website, the applicant must re-verify the price and other relevant property details every 12 months. In addition, in order to remain certified, every site and park will have to be recertified upon expiration of the current certification. All sites, including those that are certified under the prior program criteria, will have to be recertified under the current program guidelines at the time of recertification. In most cases, the certification expiration will be five years from the date of the Army Corps of Engineers Jurisdictional Determination letter regarding wetlands.

It is important to note that the property control document(s) must be in effect for the

duration of the timeframe indicated by the Jurisdictional Determination letter.

The Phase I environmental document must have a report date that approximately coincides with the date of the Jurisdictional Determination letter (based upon the judgment of MSC).

If the Jurisdictional Determination letter has not been received, the expiration will occur five years from the property control document or Phase I environmental document.

The expiration date for each certified site will be indicated in the certification letter provided to each applicant.

SCDOC Reimbursement Requirements If the applicant intends to use funding from SCDOC for reimbursement for part of the site certification costs, then the applicant must complete both a Fixed Price Repayment Agreement with the property owner (if applicable) and a Performance Agreement with SCDOC to be eligible for reimbursement. A copy of these agreements can be obtained from Jennifer deCesare at SCDOC. Program Contacts If there are any questions regarding the materials or the application process, please contact:

Jennifer deCesare South Carolina Department of Commerce 803-737-0597 [email protected] OR Sarah White McCallum Sweeney Consulting 864-672-1600 x209 [email protected]

SECTION TWO

Step 1 Requirements

Site Verification

Page 1 of 1

South Carolina Department of Commerce 2013 Industrial Site Certification Program Step 1 Requirements – Site Verification

The applicant must complete the site verification questionnaire – Step 1 Site Verification Questionnaire. The questionnaire must be signed by the owner of the site and the director of the local economic development authority.

A site verification questionnaire can be obtained online at www.sccommerce.com or from Jennifer deCesare at SCDOC.

All sites must have a definitive sale price and commitment by the owner to sell in order to be considered a verified site (or a definitive lease price and terms).

A Letter of Intent must be submitted to the Industrial Site Certification Program Manager at the SCDOC. This letter should be signed by the applicant (the site owner, the director of the local economic development authority, or a county or city elected official). The Letter of Intent must indicate whether the applicant intends to submit as an industrial site or industrial park. The applicant can only choose one category for certification.

Please submit the Step 1 Site Verification Questionnaire and Letter of Intent to the SCDOC by email:

Jennifer deCesare [email protected]

SECTION THREE

Site Verification Questionnaire

Last Updated: March 14, 2013 Page | 1

2013 SCDOC Site Certification Program Step 1: Site Verification Questionnaire

LOCATION INFORMATION

Property Name: Seeking Certification as: □ Site □ Park

Location Description: City: County(s): Zip Code: Tax Map ID(s): Municipality: □ City □ Unincorporated If Assigned Zoning, Zoning Code: Any portion of property located within a Flood Zone: □ No □ 100 Year □ 500 Year □ Both

Surrounding Land Use: North: South:

East: West:

LISTING INFORMATION

Ownership Type: □ Private □ State □ County □ Municipal □ Regional Alliance Public Option on Property?

□ Yes □ No Option Holder & Expiration Date:

Sales Price (or Range) ($/Acre):

Land Lease Rate ($/Acre/Year):

Minimum Lease Term (Years): SITE DETAILS INFORMATION

Total Property Size (Acres):

Property Improvements: □ Forested □ Cleared □ Partially Cleared □ Pad-ready The following details are requested, if known: □ Developable Site Size (Acres):

□ Minimum Divisible Site Size (Acres): □ Additional Contiguous Acreage Available (Acres): Same owner as Listed Site? □ Yes □ No □ Maximum Building Size (SF): EXISTING FEATURES & INCENTIVES INFORMATION Select the features that apply: □ Interstate Frontage, Length (Feet):

□ Foreign Trade Zone □ Multi-County Site, Partner County(s):

TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION

Name of the access road serving this property:

This Road is a: □ County Road □ State Highway, Hwy #: □ US Highway, Hwy #: Number of Lanes: If Less than 4 lanes, Name & Distance to Nearest 4 Lane Road:



This property also has the following transportation accesses:

□ Barge Accessible

Bulkhead/Slip Length

Dock Length (If Available):

Name of Waterway: Depth of Waterway (Feet): Description of Tidal Restrictions (if any):

Travel Lift/Crane(s): Number: Max Lift Capacity (Tons): Max Travel/Span:

□

Rail Accessible Serving Carrier (s):

□ Runway Accessible Runway Length (Feet): Instrument Landing System (ILS) or GPS? □ Yes □ No Available Fuel Type: □ Aviation Gas □ Jet Fuel □ Other:

Fixed Base Operator (FBO)? □ Yes □ No Maintenance Repair & Overhaul (MRO)? □ Yes □ No

PARK INFORMATION Please fill out the following, if submitting property for Certification as a Park. Curb & Gutter Existing: □ Entrance Only □ Throughout Park □ No Landscaping: □ Entrance Only □ Throughout Park □ No Street Lighting: □ Entrance Only □ Throughout Park □ No Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions In-Place: □ Yes □ No Master Plan of Park Completed: □ Yes □ No

DUE DILLIGENCE INFORMATION Select the due diligence items below that have been completed: □ Archeological and Historical Investigation/Cultural Resource Identification Survey □ Protected Species Assessment □ Report of Preliminary Geotechnical Exploration □ Phase l Environmental Site Assessment □ Wetlands Delineation



UTILITY INFORMATION Electric Service Electric Power Availability: □ Single □ Dual □ Unassigned Electric Power Provider(s):

Distance to Nearest Power Line (Feet):

Type of line serving Site: □ Transmission □ Distribution Line voltage (kV):

Is 3-Phase available? □ Yes □ No Distance to retail distribution substation (feet):

Natural Gas Service

Natural Gas Provider:

Type of line able serve Site: □ Distribution □ Transmission

If Transmission, is this line an Interstate Transmission Line: □ Yes □ No

Distance to nearest Natural Gas line that can serve Site (Feet): If the nearest Gas Line is an interstate transmission line, please describe the distance in approximate miles from building and skip the next two questions.

Diameter of nearest Natural Gas line that can serve Site (Inches):

Pressure of nearest Natural Gas line that can serve Site (PSI): If Available

Water Service

Water System Provider:

Distance to Nearest Water line that can provide service to Site (Feet):

Diameter of Nearest Water line that can provide service to Site (Inches):

What is the Available Capacity of the Nearest Water Infrastructure that can provide service to Site? One may assume that the water supply is provided at a constant rate over a 24 hour period.

□ 1,000,000 GPD or More

□ 500,000 GPD to 1,000,000 GPD

□ 300,000 GPD to 500,000 GPD

□ 150,000 GPD to 300,000 GPD

□ Less than 150,000 GPD

Available Capacity of Water Treatment Plant serving Site (GPD): Available Capacity can be determined by calculating the Total Permitted Capacity minus the Total Allocated Capacity.



Wastewater Service

Wastewater System Provider:

Wastewater Infrastructure Type (where extension would need to be connected): □ Force □ Gravity

Distance to Nearest Wastewater line that can provide service to Site (Feet):

Diameter of Nearest Wastewater line that can provide service to Site (Inches):

What is the Available Capacity of the Nearest Wastewater Infrastructure that can provide service to Site? One may assume that the wastewater supply is accepted at a constant rate over a 24 hour period.

□ 1,000,000 GPD or More

□ 500,000 GPD to 1,000,000 GPD

□ 200,000 GPD to 500,000 GPD

□ 100,000 GPD to 200,000 GPD

□ Less than 100,000 GPD

Available Capacity of Wastewater Treatment Plant serving Site (GPD): Available Capacity can be determined by calculating the Total Permitted Capacity minus the Total Allocated Capacity.

Telecommunication Service Is Optical Fiber Infrastructure available to serve the Site? □ Yes □ No Is Copper Infrastructure available to serve the Site? □ Yes □ No

If so, what type of Copper Technology is Available: □ Twisted Pair Copper Wire □ Coaxial Cable □ Both □ Unknown By “Available”, SCDOC is referring to properties where a user can expect that service can be provided within 6 months.

Provider Name:

Description of Services available:

A drawing of the property such as a plat or tax map plus a location map must be included.



Submitted By: Owner:

Pre: First: Last: Pre: First: Last:

Title: Title:

Company: Company:

Address: Address:

Address: Address:

Phone: Phone:

Cell Phone: Cell Phone:

Fax: Fax:

E-mail: E-mail:

I warrant that I am the owner of, and hold full title to, the subject property or have been granted permission by the subject property owner to submit this questionnaire and the information included within it. I acknowledge that I am requesting that the information submitted in this questionnaire be listed on the website of the South Carolina Department of Commerce (SCDOC), that such information is not confidential and that such information will be available to any third party accessing the information via SCDOC’s website, including the county, city or other political subdivisions in which the subject property is located and other economic development organizations. I understand and agree and hereby grant permission to SCDOC, or any third party accessing the information via SCDOC’s website, including the county, city or other political subdivisions in which the subject property is located and other economic development organizations, to reproduce any information submitted in this online questionnaire, including photos, and to provide a link to the information from the website of such county, city or other political subdivision or other economic development organization. I understand and agree that SCDOC has no obligation to post a property listing on its website and has the absolute discretion to determine whether and when to post a listing or remove an existing listing, temporarily or permanently, without notice, at any time for any reason, including but not limited to the listing’s non-compliance with the standards set forth by SCDOC.

I certify that all of the information about the subject property submitted in this questionnaire is accurate to best of my knowledge and that I have made a reasonable effort to confirm such accuracy.

Signature: Date: (Owner/Broker)

Signature: Date: (Local Development Authority)

SECTION FOUR

Letter of Intent Template

Page 1 of 1

South Carolina Department of Commerce 2013 Industrial Site Certification Program Letter of Intent Template The applicant must submit a letter on his/her organization’s letterhead to express his/her intent to submit an industrial site into the SCDOC Industrial Site Certification Program. The applicant must be the individual who is authorized to represent the property (the site owner, the director of the local economic development authority, or a county or city elected official). Below is an example letter that highlights the information that should be included in the Letter of Intent. DATE Jennifer deCesare South Carolina Department of Commerce 1201 Main Street, Suite 1600 Columbia, SC 29201 Ms. deCesare: This letter is to express my intent to submit the SITE NAME in COUNTY for the South Carolina Department of Commerce Industrial Site Certification Program. The site will be submitted as an INDUSTRIAL SITE or INDUSTRIAL PARK. In submitting this letter, I acknowledge that: I have read and understand the minimum criteria for this program.

I am willing and able to incur the expenditures necessary to complete the program.

I understand that participation in this program is voluntary, and certification is not guaranteed. Sincerely, APPLICANT NAME APPLICANT CONTACT INFO

Site certification -_2013_program_manual

Business

south carolina department

wastewater treatment plant

recognized environmental concerns

year flood zone

nearest wastewater line

prospective industrial investors

industrial quality power

nearest water line